Dough based products have been made in commercial quantities for quite some time, and numerous method and apparatus improvements have been introduced along the way. However, the desire for better production techniques continues unabated. For example, all other things remaining constant, the per unit cost of a product decreases in proportion to an increase in the speed with which the dough is made and manipulated into the product. Thus, there exists a need to move the dough as fast as possible through all of the necessary stages of dough formation.
All other things remaining constant, the per unit cost of a product decreases in proportion to a decrease in the cost of obtaining and operating the equipment with which the dough is made and manipulated into the product. Thus, there exists a need for dough forming equipment that is relatively less expensive to obtain and/or operate.
All other things remaining constant, the per unit cost of a product decreases in proportion to a decrease in the difficulty with which the dough is made and manipulated into the product. Thus, there exists a need for methods and apparatus that make it relatively easier to form dough into a desired configuration. In addition to cutting costs, there exists an ongoing need to maintain and/or improve the quality of the product, as well.